WEEKLY SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON
An international
Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday November 1, 2015
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readers worldwide
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PRAY
AND EXPECT THE DOORS TO BE OPENED
(Prayer
works!)
(Acts
12:1-19)
In Acts chapter 12, Luke chronicles the story
of King Herod Agrippa I, and his persecution of the Christian Church and its
leaders at Jerusalem. Herod Agrippa I, was the grandson of Herod the Great, a
direct descendant of Esau, who was ruler over Palestine around the time when
JESUS was born. He was the son of Aristobulus, Herod the Great’s son by his
wife Mariamne. Herod the Great murdered Mariamne, and then subsequently,
murdered their two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus shortly after they found out
that he had killed their mother.
Mariamne
was a princess who descended from the Great Jewish dynasty, known as the
Maccabees, who were direct descendants of Jacob. Therefore, Herod Agrippa I was
pure-bred Jewish, raised that way by his parents. He was educated in Rome, and
throughout his life, he adhered strongly to Jewish laws and customs. This made
him very popular with the orthodox Jews, and through his persecution of the
newly formed Christian Church, he no doubt sought to further improve upon his
popularity.
In
Acts chapter 12, taking up at verse 1, we are introduced to Herod Agrippa I, as
he orders the death of James, one the original Disciples of JESUS. James, the
brother of the Apostle John, became the first of the original Disciples to be
martyred, as he was killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased
the Jewish leaders, he arrested Peter, with the intent to kill him also, as
soon as the Passover celebration had ended.
While
Peter was in jail, the Church prayed earnestly for him, and on the eve of his
trial while asleep in his cell, he was awakened by an angel of the LORD. The
angel instructed him to “get up quickly”, and the chains that bound him between
two guards, fell from his wrists. Then the angel told him to “Get dressed and
put on his sandals and coat and “follow me”. So Peter did as the angel
instructed, but all the while, he thought it was just a dream and had not yet
realized it was really happening.
They
passed the first and second guard posts, and then finally, they came to an iron
gate that would open into the street. The gate opened by itself, and Peter was
able to walk with the angel to freedom. As they were walking down the street
the angel left him and he realized then, that it was not a dream. He now knew
that the LORD had sent HIS angel to rescue him from his impending doom.
Peter
then goes directly to the home of the mother of John Mark. John Mark is the man
who became the eventual author of the Book of Mark, and is also the cousin of
Barnabas (who was known as the enabling encourager) (Colossians 4:10). He would
also, later, travel with Barnabas and the Apostle Paul, on their first
missionary journey (Acts 13:5). The home of his mother was apparently one of
the meeting places (House Churches) of the followers of CHRIST in those days,
and no doubt, was where they had gathered to pray for Peter during his
incarceration.
When
Peter arrives there and knocks on the door, a girl named Rhoda came to answer
it. But after hearing the voice of Peter, whom they thought was still incarcerated,
she, in her excitement, ran back to tell the others instead of opening the door
for Peter.
The
people inside, first, thought she was out of her mind, but finally concluded
that she had, no doubt, heard an angel. But, when she insisted, they finally
went to the door where they themselves heard Peter’s continued knocking. When
they opened the door, they were amazed to see Peter standing there. Peter
motions for them to quiet down, and then, tells them the story of how the LORD
had led him to freedom. Before he left Mary’s house, he instructed them to go
and tell James, the brother of JESUS, and apparent leader of the Church at that
time, and all the others, what had just happened.
At
dawn there was a great commotion among the palace guards about what had
happened with Peter the night before. Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search
for Peter, but he couldn’t be found, and so he interrogated his guards and then
sentenced them to death, before leaving for Caesarea to sojourn there for a
while.
It was the strong earnest prayers of the Christians
at the House Church of Mary, John Mark’s mother that unlocked the cell that
held Peter captive in Jerusalem. And I’m certain that Peter must have been
reminded of what JESUS told him and the other disciples, as HE closed out HIS
private teachings to them, in that dimly lit upper room, somewhere in the midst
of the festive Passover atmosphere of Jerusalem, on the final night of HIS life
here on earth.
It is a statement and promise that is now
available for all to see, as it is recorded in the Gospel account of the
Apostle John (John 14:13-14). There, JESUS proclaims to HIS faithful followers,
and to all future believers that; “You can ask anything in MY name, and I will
do it, because the work of the SON brings glory to the father. Yes, ask
anything in MY name, and I will do it! (NLT). Amen.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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